Published on 31.01.2024
The jubilant scenes at the end of the match at the City Ground were a stark contrast to Arsenal’s previous visit to Nottingham Forest.
On that occasion, defeat ended their hopes of winning the Premier League title after a season-long quest.
In May, it was Forest who celebrated survival and condemned Arsenal to misery with Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal. The late collapse also handed Manchester City the championship.
This time around, with Liverpool set to visit Emirates Stadium on Sunday, defeat was unthinkable for Arsenal. Although their title aspirations were not on the line in this game, they couldn’t afford a loss.
Arsenal move two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool 👀 pic.twitter.com/WQqum891ZL
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 30, 2024
That is why there was an outpouring of elation from manager Mikel Arteta, his players, and their dedicated fans when the final whistle blew after five minutes of stoppage time. What had seemed like a routine victory turned tense when Awoniyi scored late for Forest.
While Forest didn’t cause much anxiety for Arsenal until those closing stages, there were still moments of stress throughout the match. In particular, during the first 45 minutes when it appeared that Arsenal was sleepwalking towards a result that could have damaged their season.
In the first half, Arsenal displayed a lack of urgency and were unable to make any significant advances. They fell into Forest’s defensive strategy of sitting back and waiting for opportunities to counterattack. The number of passes made by Arsenal was excessive, resulting in sluggish attacks and limited chances on goal. While some may argue that Arsenal were being composed and mature in their approach, it was evident that they needed to do much more.
However, the second half saw a change in pace from Arsenal as they sought to increase their attacking intensity. Their efforts were aided by an unfortunate mistake from former goalkeeper Matt Turner who allowed Gabriel Jesus’ shot to slip between his legs and find the back of the net near post at the 65th-minute mark.
Bukayo Saka contributed with Arsenal’s second goal, with Gonzalo Montiel being at fault for Forest on this occasion. Despite Awoniyi briefly threatening a surprising comeback with his goal, it was ultimately not enough as Montiel’s mistake proved decisive for Forest’s defeat.
